The acting director, Regulations, Inspection & Compliance at the National Road Safety Authority, Kwame Koduah Atuahene has charged parents and guardians to prioritize their insistence that management of schools comply with the directives on safe transport for basic school children.
Lawyer Atuahene said schools that flout directives addressing unsafe means of transporting such school children risk having their transport services shut down.
The National Road Safety Authority in a statement on January 13, 2022, said its observations indicate some buses which convey basic school children were often overloaded, picked up children at unsafe areas, and had no adult supervision on board, among others.
In an interview on the ATLANTIC WAVE last Friday, Lawyer Kwame Koduah Atuahene said schools that defy the conditions stipulated by the authority risk facing harsh administrative penalties.
“If by 28th February, upon inspection, we come to the conclusion that a particular school has not met the conditions to run a transport service, we are in the position to shut the service down, we are not shutting the school down but the transport service down and we are committed to doing that” he stressed.
Regarding the penalty, he noted that the minimum under the circumstances will be GHS 50,000 and not more than GHS 120,000 adding that this will be an alternative sanction after a school has been warned to shut down its transport services.
In compliance with the directive, schools are advised to submit relevant information on the details of their drivers and vehicles assigned for transport service to the national road safety authority by February 28, 2022.
LawyerKwame Koduah Atuahene told ATLFM that going forward, the authority will commit itself to chart a path of voluntary compliance to policies.
He said people must comply naturally with these policies and protocols that go to ensure collective safety.
He added, “Given that we are used to doing the wrong thing over time, it might create a bit of inconvenience but we are committed to chart a path that will advance some culture of voluntary compliance on the part of these institutions”.
In pursuance to reduce road traffic crashes, injuries, and death, of school bus occupants and children pedestrians, the authority has ordered all schools to provide vehicles fit for the purpose, assign adults to help with supervision, and allocate traffic wardens to help children cross the roads during peak hours.
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Source: Richard Osei Korankye/ATLFMNEWS
